Natural sleep aids once in recovery

Hi everyone, I've searched the boards quite a bit, but haven't found exactly what I'm looking for. I am 2 and 1/2 years off benzos (taken for sleep), and one of the main problems I still struggle with is falling asleep. I think it's still benzo related because it feels different than what I had prior to going on benzos. I'm into natural remedies now, and have been researching some herbs such as skullcap, lemon balm, and hops. Some (or all?) of these are GABA agonists, and the question I have is do we have to avoid these forever, or at some point is it worth trying them to see if they can help?

 

Also, what about valerian root and kava, are those always a no-no for us?

 

 

If you had this problem as a pre-existing condition before benzos and it's chronic, I honestly don't think there is anything you can take that will help in the long run. In fact, I think the more time we spend chasing after some combination of things to "take" before bed, the more we may be re-inforcing the problem by convincing ourselves that sleep is not possible without putting something in our body. That's just my personal opinion - others might disagree.

 

Have you tried cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia? That is the gold standard and I have found that these techniques are most effective with sleep onset problems.

nothing helps you just have to ride out the insomnia i have been been down everyroad possible its been 10 months .

I have to agree with Lilac here. CBT for insomnia (it's a bit different from regular CBT) is safe, nonaddictive and effective. It's not so great very early in wd but at over 2 years off you're in a good place for it. There are online programs and even apps that can guide you through it. I used the University of Virginia's program called SHUTi. Here's some info on good online CBTi programs: https://www.tuck.com/best-online-cbt-programs/

 

Good luck!

Hi everyone, I've searched the boards quite a bit, but haven't found exactly what I'm looking for. I am 2 and 1/2 years off benzos (taken for sleep), and one of the main problems I still struggle with is falling asleep. I think it's still benzo related because it feels different than what I had prior to going on benzos. I'm into natural remedies now, and have been researching some herbs such as skullcap, lemon balm, and hops. Some (or all?) of these are GABA agonists, and the question I have is do we have to avoid these forever, or at some point is it worth trying them to see if they can help?

 

Also, what about valerian root and kava, are those always a no-no for us?

 

I don't care if these are GABA agonists or not. For me the best is melatonin, as I also take fluoxetine at bedtime. I read that fluoxetine decreases melatonin levels. Then taurine, l-glutamine, l-theanine, mag glycinate, vitamin B6, lemon balm, hops, GABA. Rx med: propanolol, the smallest possible amount. Like a quarter of a pill. To slow down the heart rate. But mine is elevated cause of fluoxetine. Tart cherry juice at bedtime helps a lot. Increases melatonin levels. Also banana juice. Increases potassium levels. Fructose makes me sleepy. It's all about what one believes in.

Thank you all for your responses. I didn't get them sooner because I didn't have my notifications set right! I just came on here yesterday for a new post and saw these responses.

 

Lilac, I tend to agree with you very much re: the CBT. I'm doing something right now that is supposed to be actually better, and that's EMDR therapy. The trouble with both of these is they are limited if one is really having insomnia from physical symptoms. But it is helping a little so far, but I still have some more work to do. Even if it just helps me with the anxiety over not sleeping while I'm still recovering, that will be of some benefit.

 

After I wrote this post I tried chamomile tea because I thought it was pretty mild to try and I had it in the house. The first 3 nights it really helped, I felt more relaxed and slept great. But on the 4th night, I started having trouble. The next day I noticed I was starting to have some mild symptoms like I had in withdrawal - a head pressure headache, body temp changing from hot to cold, and a little depersonalization. Its crazy! Just from chamomile! So no herbs for me I guess. It worries me that my body will never return to normal if it's been 2 and 1/2 years.  I tried phosphatydal serine too and had the same experience. It didn't cause withdrawal feelings, just worked for 2-3 nights and then actually caused inability to fall asleep.

 

I have read The Sleep Book by Guy Meadows (I think), and it's all about the mental part of insomnia, and that was really helpful, I highly recommend it if anyone else needs it.

 

MTfan, thank you for the specific recommendations for CBT. I will check them out if the EMDR doesn't work.

 

And Estee, thank you for your suggestions. I've tried some of those. Both melatonin and propranolol gave me headaches after my withdrawal (I'm prone to headaches though). I take Unisom (doxylamine succinate), but I don't like the idea of taking that long term. I'm not sure if it even helps, it's more of a crutch I believe.